Jumping young horses - too much, too soon?

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Just something which I have been thinking about lately. Have seen quite a few videos on Youtube lately of horses as young as three being jumped regularly around courses. :confused: Now I have always believed that three is too young to do too much with a horse and you should wait until they are four before starting jumping. This may be right or wrong, I am just interested to see what other people think.

Discuss :)
 
I know of someone who competed her 2yo, lied about his age. :(
Was very sad, this was about 5 years ago and he is now sour as anything.
 
I have a 4yr atm, she was broken last year and jumped her first x pole the day before i went to view her in Jan. Then she didnt jump again until march (I think!!) shes jumped once or twice a week over little x poles and no bigger than a 70 vertical. Mind you she still hasnt done spreads, fillers or a double lol She has a cracking wee jump but were taking it super slow and dont plan to do any sj comps until nov/dec and xc next year. Personally I dont like to see 3yr olds doing much, id prefer them to be broke and then turned away to chill but everyones different. I dont like to see 3yr olds hunted either, i wouldnt even hunt a 4yr old lol it would make me paranoid!! But each to there own :)
 
Personally I would like to see a horse lightly backed at 3, no jumping until 4. At 4 only light jumping, and slowly progressing. However, I believe on the continent they jump 4 year olds over pretty decent size fences. I was speaking to a French groom who said that affiliated 4 yr old classes go up to 1.15m (if I'm remembering correctly).
 
Would also like to add that when I worked at a sport horse stud all the 3 yr olds were loose jumped a couple of times, and those that were broken might pop a couple of jumps.
 
junglefairy said:
Personally I would like to see a horse lightly backed at 3, no jumping until 4. At 4 only light jumping, and slowly progressing. However, I believe on the continent they jump 4 year olds over pretty decent size fences. I was speaking to a French groom who said that affiliated 4 yr old classes go up to 1.15m (if I'm remembering correctly).
Click to expand...

^^^ this^^^
 
My 3yo will be lightly backed this summer (maybe about 4-6wks work), be turned away until the spring (4yo), then be ridden lightly, working on his flatwork and hacking all 4yo year (with breaks), maybe some RC dressage/flatwork rallies, then in spring as a 5yo i will start introducing small jumps and think about starting to compete over summer as a 5yo. This way I hope he will still be going strong well into his 20's at least.

Theres no rush, I say let babies be babies, and they will (hopefully) reward you with a long sound working life :)
 
I am all for a slow start tbh, what's the rush?

Mine did virtually nothing as a 4yo, and did a few comps as a 5yo but nothing special (although I did go in one puissance and ended up doing 1.30m :eek: He just kept jumping!) But in all honesty mine still has such low mileage even now as an 11yo - lack of time and money really :o Certainly haven't jumped anywhere near 1.30m again, not because he's sour - just because I'm going slowly (very slowly!) up the grades :)

My sister has a 2yo, and I doubt he will do much as a 4yo, although if he's mature enough, might end up doing the BYEH, but thats not exactly too taxing imho :)
 
My four year old was backed about six months ago and was schooling lightly not very regularly until she came to us three months ago, since then she has mostly been hacking. We have used some poles with her but haven't jumped her at all. Understand she was loose jumped and popped a few tiny jumps before we got her but I want her nice and balanced in canter and much stronger before I jump her.
 
I agree with all of the above. I just don't see why some people see the need to rush it. And, I'm quoting from somebody on youtube here, 'the horse is very talented and never says no' which IMO is not a valid reason to bring a horse on too quickly. :mad:
 
I know someone who backed theirs as a 2 year old and then reseted him, then bought him back to work before he turned 3 this year and has been jumping him :(
I don't even loose jump mine until they are 4. Maybe once because curiosity gets the better of me but even then it would be no bigger than 2ft.
Rowan is 4 and was jumped over 2ft jumps a couple of times at backers and now hasnt been jumped in a couple of months. I will only jump him on a surface and over no bigger than 2ft3 to 2ft6 later this year (end of summer). may take him over some tiny xc jumps over very late summer/ autumn if i think he is strong enough but not sure 2bh, i keep visualising him like slipping over or crashing into them as he is quite clumsy :P
 
We have a lippizaner's and as there late maturing we havent pushed her at all yet as i dont want to ruin her! She's just turned 7 last month and is jumping 80cm rounds at competitions and 90cm at home. She's still got 2 more years to she's fully matured!
 
Mines now 5 (just!) shes done a clear round show at the local EC - jumped around70cm at home.... (odd jumps not a course)! and thats it...

I dont feel the need to jump her high - just low jumps but accurate....height will come in time :)
 
I have a five year old. Last year (when he was four) I popped him over fences/small courses occasionally at home, building up slowly. I'm now starting to compete him over 60-70cm courses this year, with a hope to start affiliated novice workers next year :)
 
When I bought my 4yo he had alreay got some money BSJA! That was in just a couple of outings though as he'd been brought back into work after having the winter off. I think he was brought back into work in Feb/Mar and I think we bought him in the Apr/May. I was jumping him NC when he was about 5 and we'd done the PC SJ teams as well. To be honest I didn't know any better and didn't really consider his age he just seemed to like jumping. He is 20 now and we still compete XC, ODEs and SJ although I did not really go much further BSJA than Disc and we have had some gliches SJ but most of that was my fault not his and a combination of out confidence (or lack of ) following some inicidents.

I think it depends very much on the individual horse and what is ok for one may not be right for another. I certainly do not think there is really any need to rush any horse though and I wouldn't be wanting to jump a 3 yo! I would possibly have free schooled it over some fences though (small fences) to see how they took to it I guess. Again though it would entirely depend on that individual horse and how mature I felt they were both in body and mind!
 
My cob has turned 3 last month, shes very mature for her age physically, started long reining her in jan for very short sessions probably once every 10 days or so. Sat on her end of Feb then didn't touch her till a few weeks ago, since then i have sat on her and been led around the yard, and up to the top of the lane and back (over 3 sessions) for approx 10 mins per session. The other few times a have had her out she has done a bit of long reining. I never over do it and keep sessions very short :)
Planning on having her hacking out round the lanes by the end of summer (max 20 mins) then planning on turning her away from october till march then bring her back into work as a 4 yr old. Still jumping is a way off for us yet, probably the winter in her 4th year and even then it will be very little x poles till shes stronger - will see how she is at the time.
Eventually i want to take her hunting regular :) but wont start the cubbing season till end of her 5th year.
It stops her getting bored and certainly gives her something to think about when she gets back out in the field :)
 
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